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Researcher at UBC Find a Promising Way to Stop a Cold or COVID-19 from Taking Hold

Whether it’s the common cold, or COVID-19, researchers at University of BC have identified a compound that may stop these viruses from making you sick.

It targets a process in human cells that coronaviruses use to replicate.

Dr. Tirosh Shapira at UBC’s faculty of medicine says they discovered that coronaviruses “hijack” an enzyme called GSK3 beta to reproduce.

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They tested a compound that blocks GSK3 beta and prevents a coronavirus from replicating.

The compound is part of a group of experimental drugs known as GSK3 inhibitors.

Scientists have been studying them as potential treatments for a number of diseases, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer.

The research found multiple GSK3 inhibitors that are effective against coronaviruses and have a low toxicity to human cells.

They then identified a leading candidate that inhibited both COVID and the common cold virus.

It shows early promise and may provide a path toward creating antiviral treatments for a number of pathegens.

The research was supported by the TV Veterans Association, Genome British Columbia and the BC Lung Foundation.

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